Open mike 14/12/2010

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, December 14th, 2010 - 61 comments
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61 comments on “Open mike 14/12/2010 ”

  1. BLiP 1

    In an effort to stave off as much public embarrassment as possible ahead of the release of today’s Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update, Chief Executive and Secretary to the Treasury John Whitehead has announced a major reorganisation.

    Thirteen economists in the Treasury Forecasts Unit will be made redundant and a flock of chickens brought in to replace them. Mr Whitehead said “we have been shamed over and over again during the last two years by being completely unable to get within even cooee of the actual figures in our forecasts. We believe this reorganisation underlines our commitment to this government to get things right going forward.”

    In a rare display of solidarity with management, the Secret Order of Gnomes, Witches, Warlocks and Economists accepts that the decision by Treasury is essential if confidence in the work of economists is to be sustained. “We have no sympathy for our colleagues in this instance,” head of the trade union Prof. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore said. “We shall be taking back their cloaks and staffs this week and it is unlikely they will find work outside of the banking sector in this country ever again.”

    The reorganisation of the Unit will also see Teasury return to old, tested and proven methods of economic forecasting. New head of the Unit, Shelby Wright, explains that “at precisely midnight on each of the three full moons which make up the quarter, three chickens will be sacrificed and their blood volume measured out. This will give us a near immediate indication as to the current direction of New Zealand’s economy.

    “Once the necessary rituals have been carried out, there will be a detailed analysis of each of the chicken’s entrails and it is there that the exact details will be found along with an identification of which levers will need to be tweaked to bring forecasts into line with the future.”

    Praise for the reorganisation has also come from academic institutions. The Chair of Auckland University’s Economics and Necromancy School, Lord Voldemort described today’s announcement as a “grand return to methods long taught through centuries of economic study.”

    The forecast numbers to be derived from the reorganised structure will be tested over the short term by students at Auckland University who will run a parallel programme using Tarot Cards and Oracle Bones.

    Finance Minister Bill English also welcomed the move. “We rely on on Treasury to get things right. There were absolutely no indications that rising unemployment combined with an inflationary cycle coupled to an increase in GST to fund tax cuts for the top ten percent of income earners would result in a lower tax take and less consumption.

    “Hopefully Treasury can get it right this time and there will be no more nasty surprises.”

    Although he indicated the disappointing Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update figures yesterday, Prime Minister John Key will be no where near the actual announcement today. Its understood that, in his role as Minister for Tourism in New Zealand, John Key is supervising the packing required for his Christmas holiday in Hawaii.

    • Pascal's bookie 1.1

      You’re a star BLiP 🙂

      • Colonial Viper 1.1.1

        Go BLiP!

        And by now we all know that economic forecasting is about as worthy a discipline as fortune telling by crystal ball.

        Strictly for entertainment only.

    • Haha Blip. Very funny.

      This is a joke isn’t it?

      • Bunji 1.2.1

        Hey micky, I know you’ve raised the issue of Paula Bennett’s taxpayer-funded signs for her one-and-only constituency clinic that are scattered across the electorate. I was over your way at the weekend and they’re still up – are they allowed to remain up after the “event” has occurred? What are the Waitakere by-laws on (political) advertising wrt that? ‘Coz November 26 has come and gone (did anyone turn up for the clinic to give her a razzing?)

        • Jilly Bee 1.2.1.1

          Yup – they’re still up and I think some wag has been advertising garage sales in the Ranui/Swanson area on top of them! I can’t be sure as I’m usually driving by and have no intention of holding up traffic in Swanson Road and/or Universal Drive to make out what they are advertising.

        • mickysavage 1.2.1.2

          Hi Bunji

          They are still up. Bennett is planning another of those constituency clinics on December 22 and she has changed the date on the sign.

          The local bylaws allow signs advertising public events to go up three weeks before and there is a grace period for a week after the event. The Labour MPs have been putting up signs advertising public meetings regularly but these have been properly organised meetings with a number of people attending. Bennett is being cheeky advertising clinics. They are hardly public events, more like something she should be doing each week. It is like she is advertising the fact that she is turning up to work even though it is only very occasionally.

          I do not know if anyone turned up. If my MP conducted constituency clinics once a month only I would demand a replacement.

          Bennett is stretching the rules to breaking point. I think I will complain to my local board member …

          • felix 1.2.1.2.1

            Wow. If I read this right, Bennett has been drawing a salary for two years and has just begun making herself available to her constituents once a month.

            And getting some sneaky pre-election not-counted-toward-the-spending-limit advertising in.

  2. joe90 2

    Following the tuition fee protests home secretary Theresa May has opened the way for given the go-ahead for water cannon to be used on the British mainland for the first time. She has ignored the dangers of using water cannon.

    • john 2.1

      The more I learn about the UK, came from there originally,the more i despair of it:
      1. They have almost completely abandoned their Socialist, mixed economy, beginnings post ww11.
      2. They’re privatizing everything in sight and they cut taxes for the rich and attack the poor.
      3. Both Labour and the Tories lack the will to collect over a hundred billion in taxes evaded and avoided yearly!
      4. They get notorious tax dodgers to advise the Government on how to cut entitlements for the ordinary people! Outrageous.
      5. They are total suck ups to the US.
      6. The current Government are STUPID. Surely it’s better to have a person studying a humanities degree learning respect and dignity for his society and himself and developing a good morale than to rot on the dole?!
      7.Vast majority of students demonstrated peacefully it was the police who “kettled them”,it’s the police who are wearing crash helmets and having shields and batons and truncheons. UK is a fascist state.
      8.North Sea oil is going going almost gone It’s wealth wasn’t used to improve ordinary people’s lives. Thatcher and subsequent Toty governments are a disaster. They view the orinary Brit as the scum of the Earth as Wellington viewed his soldiers.That class system is alive and well in the UK.
      9. Using Water Cannon is another step down the fascist road, The Tory Scum will just love the lower orders being put in their place!

    • john 2.2

      Hi joe90 The UK becoming a Police State

      Police-state tactics against protesters in Britain
      In total, 33 protesters were arrested and more than 50 seriously injured. Many more will not have reported their injuries for fear of retaliatory action. Dozens of reports, video footage and photographic evidence show students, including school children as young as 10, being attacked by heavily armed riot police.
      A 17-year-old female student told the BBC how she and her friends were attacked by police. “They didn’t show any mercy whatsoever. They threw around my friends, who were just 17-year-old slim girls. They were beating my friends with batons.”
      She added, “I received a text later from a friend who didn’t manage to escape, saying that he was thrown to the floor by the neck. He was beaten on the floor by three police officers until he was throwing up blood, and when that happened they just threw him aside and didn’t give him any medical attention and went on to the next one.”
      austerity measures being imposed in the interests of the banks and corporations.Refer link

      http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/dec2010/pers-d13.shtml

      • john 2.2.1

        Comment on Kettling of Protesters:

        As I support neither the government NOR the students on this issue (and I was certainly not at this demonstration!) I can speak from a position of neutrality and impartiality. It is clear that the debate which has been called for must focus on the following points:

        Although a small minority went to this protest with the intention of causing trouble, the vast majority did not, but no doubt they have ALL returned home with a lifelong, intense HATRED for the police and will henceforth celebrate every time they hear of a policeman being attacked.

        Why? Mainly because of the ABHORRENT tactic known as ‘kettling’. If someone has committed a crime, then arrest them. But if they haven’t, then they MUST be free to leave. Holding people who have committed no crime is FALSE IMPRISONMENT.

        In fact, kettling is much worse than that. These innocent people have no access to food or drink – think how serious this could be for a diabetic – or to toilet facilities or even to rest. Even a convicted murderer has access to these things, as to deny people these fundamental rights is deemed to be a form of TORTURE. No wonder some people have renamed this VILE tactic of penning people in ‘cattling’, although in truth even cattle are treated better.

        This newspaper, and indeed, all civilised people, should campaign to make kettling/cattling ILLEGAL. This tactic must be stopped. Not only for the sake of decent, innocent protesters, but also in the long-term interests of the police who are creating a mounting tide of venomous hatred against them, which will unfortunately but inevitably result in more Raoul Moats and more police deaths, with everyone else cheering.

        Let me make it very clear that I am NOT encouraging these attitudes; on the contrary, I am calling for an end to kettling and for a change in police tactics precisely to PREVENT these anti-police attitudes spreading and for the long-term benefit of the police themselves (as well as, obviously, all the innocent protesters).

  3. john 3

    Time for some Humour: An Irishman tells what went wrong with the Celtic Tiger now a Celtic Pussy Cat for the ECB and IMF.
    Irishman Bluntly States the Fu*king Problem with the Economy (VIDEO)
    THIS MAN IS AN IRISH NATIONAL HERO !! We at xfm Dublin, Ireland, WANT this man to return home and run the country, Even if this man was in a fu*king coma, he could do a better job than Fianna Fail and their wanker banker and developer mates. It will be a cold day in Hell, when another Banker / Builder / Property Developer / Speculator or ‘Fianna Failure Lizard’ wipes the eye of the Irish People. They should stick to shovelling shit ! That is what they are used to, that’s what they are good at.

    http://oneworldscam.com/?p=10975

  4. Tigger 4

    Sure, NOW Key wants to call in the Auditor General…
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10694133

    Mr Key, how about asking some ‘obvious questions’ around Pansy Wong’s travel perk?

  5. Swampy 5

    Why is Graham Henry the third commissioner
    What qualifications does he have for the position

    If ind it’s interesting while Bell is obvious choice Key said about two words about Henry why he was appointed.

  6. luva 6

    There are a lot of people who post and comment on this blog who scratch their heads and genuinley do not know why 50%+ of voters support the government.

    One only has to turn to the negative spiteful comments coming from the current Labour Party President to be reminded of why people became very tired of the 5th Labour government and turned to this uninspiring National alternative. Remember when the Prime Minister called legitimate protestors wreckers and haters; remember when the the Finance Minsister called the leader of the opposition a rich prick; remember when the Prime Minsister told reporters that the leader of the opposition didn’t belong at the Otara Flea market and should return to his own people in Remuera; remember the former Labour Party president wasting time in Australia trying to dig dirt on the leader of the opposition; rememeber when….you get my point.

    Labour always had a popular policy platform to campaign from, yet it was the bollocks that I have highlighted above which I believe was the reason why they were turfed out of office. They were obsessed with the personalities in National and that obsession made them turn feral and nasty. Their response to criticsm of this was “diddums”.

    We now have a very conservative (many call it ‘do nothing’) National Prime Minister that trys to be all things to all people.The left criticise him for this but this in my opinion is the reason he is popular. He doesn’t make petty spiteful comments about constituents that don’t support him. He trys to be positive to all. It is this positive outlook for all New Zealanders that makes him popular.

    And having witnessed Key’s popularity for four years Andrew Little decides to continue the negative theme that proved the undoing of Helen Clark and Cullen. This time he turns on his own. As President of the Lablour Party he doesn’t thank a long serving loyal MP and former minister. No he calls him a lightweight and boasts about taking him out.

    When the President can’t even be positive about his own team, why would anyone be persuaded to buy into his vision.

    This country needs a poisitve ambitious alternative. For christ’s sake Labour stop being negative and give us that alternative.

    • Carol 6.1

      Pot…. kettle…. funny how negative comments from Labour people get all the publciity. In contrast negative snipes from NAct and their supporters get less attention, or even positive attention, while also niggling away in the background, or just under the MSM radar on blogs, talk-back etc. Meanwhile Labour and the Greens have developed lots of positive policies, or general approaches that get little mainstream media attention.

      And, if you’ve ever tuned into parliament, you see a long string of NAct negativity towards Labour, as a kind of cover for their lack of positive direction…. but little of that gets MSM attention.

      The boring mantra from National, front-footed by Blinglish… is usually to start any statement or answer with hammering the record and MPs of the last Labour government, often in a diversionary and distorted way.

      NAct’s support form a minority of swing voters that pushes NAct up into just over the majority support (with 40+% continuing to NOT support them), is based on spin, distortion, diversion and double-speak, that our wonderful MSM fails to hold to account.

      • luva 6.1.1

        Come on Carol. There is no use screaming they done it to or blaming this on the MSM.

        The only thing Andrew Little should be doing is selling Labours gospel. Getting the positive message out there to firstly get some popular support from the electorate and secondly get some financial backers on board.

        Forget about negative comments like he made in reference to Hawkins. And forget about Key.

        The message should be Labour Labour Labour.

        • Carol 6.1.1.1

          Luva, you mean focus on spin and sweeping differences under the carpet the way National does? I don’t see anything wrong with debates within a party, especially when it is related to candidate selection. Did you ever watch the presidential candidate selctions in the US? or see differences aired within parties in the UK? Of course, in places like China, like the National party, dissent is suppressed.

          • luva 6.1.1.1.1

            Carol, I think you are being a wee bit too defensive here.

            And you kind of lose a little bit of credibilty when you say something ludicrous like “Of course, in places like China, like the National party, dissent is suppressed.” Back that statement up please or withdraw it.

            I go back to my original comment that Labour had and has a popular policy platform. Campaign on policy and put the sideshows to one side. If for the next 10 months Labour keeps hammering home their positive policy message, they will go close to winning.

            If they continue the negative Clark tactics, or Little comments from the weekend the real message will be lost and Key will waltz back in. Who wants that?

            • Tigger 6.1.1.1.1.1

              National desperately keeps all its dirty laundry in the cupboard – clearly they learned this from watching episodes of Dynasty and Dallas – rich people don’t air their crap but hide it away. It’s not fun watching scraps but there is at least an honesty about it.

              And Key gets to be as bitchy as he likes and no one ever calls him on it. There is a double standard here.

    • millsy 6.2

      Quite frankly if people in Labour have a problem with the unions, Andrew Little or whoever, then they really need to rethink their membership.

      The name of the Party (“Labour”) kinda gives the name away, and is the biggest reason why unions should retain their position in the party. If a grumpy old bugger like Hawkins doesnt like it, then there is nothing stopping him from resigning his Labour Party membership and joining National.

      Imagine if a National MP threw a wobbly like that if a candidate who was high up in Federated Farmers or the EMA was chosen? He would be drummed out of National for good.

      “He doesn’t make petty spiteful comments about constituents that don’t support him. He trys to be positive to all. It is this positive outlook for all New Zealanders that makes him popular.”

      There is so much wrong with your comments it makes me sick.

      From what I have seen, if you are a single parent, in a state house, on minium wage, a teacher, nurse, a union member, or someone who earns below $50,000 per year, you are untermench to him.

  7. hateatea 8

    Am I the only person who finds this article somewhat ‘interesting’ given all the angst about the possibility of any whanau, hapū or iwi ‘owning’ any beach
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4455828/Govt-considers-buying-Coromandel-beach

    I await with interest the comments from Ngāti Redkneckery in the blogosphere. Perhaps I may be surprised by some balanced comments on this but somehow I doubt it!

    captcha: knew
    Well, I knew that there were privately owned beaches in New Zealand. How come all those highly educated wallies didn’t!

    • lprent 8.1

      I suspect it is going to be a noisy day because of the appalling government deficit and Pansy committing political suicide. It is relevant – just the wrong day.

      What you could do is write a post and submit it to the Contribute Post button. If it is reasonably well written, expresses an opinion, and makes a point then we are rather more likely to run it than not in the next couple of days.

  8. Colonial Viper 9

    Hillside Workshops lose Trains to China

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4456359/KiwiRail-misses-out-on-wagon-bid

    More bad news they are trying to bury under Wong’s body

  9. hateatea 10

    Report in that Richard Holbrooke has died
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/4456898/Key-diplomat-Richard-Holbrooke-dies

    As far as I could tell, he seemed to be good at what he was tasked with.

    • Pascal's bookie 10.1

      Last words, to surgeon…

      “You’ve got to stop this war in Afghanistan.”

      getting a fair bit of attention.

  10. prism 11

    I liked the item from Israel about the 41 top rabbis being slated for their recent suggestion that landlords should not rent to non-Jews. (This apparently includes Africans who have been taken into Israel because they are Jews. I think.) Anyway the rabbis show a fine mixture of culture, concern for religious observance and market acumen. They think that letting to non-Jews would result in sacrilege, inter-marriage and bring down the value of the property.

    • Bored 11.1

      Funny really: Maybe that petty level of exclusiveness cost them ownership of the biggest wealthiest organisation in the world for the last two milleniums, the Catholic church (he said tongue in cheek).

  11. Has anyone seen the statement Turia regarding Pansy Wong.???. Bloody hell !!Wherever does this woman come from . Is this really what the Maori Party think?.
    Or is this strange woman losing her marbles.

    • Carol 12.1

      http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1012/S00250/turia-saddened-by-pansy-wong-resignation.htm

      “I mihi to her for her loyalty to her constituency and her resolve to do well by them.

      “What I am most saddened about is the systematic attack that Pansy has been subjected to, during the past few weeks in Parliament.

      “I hope those MPs throwing stones are very confident they could withstand the same scrutiny if they find themselves in the same position.

      “I would like to wish Pansy well for the future and thank her for the commitment and passion she has shown during the past 14 years as a MP.”

  12. Am I on my own wondering if Key is personally involved in the Pansy Wong scandal. why is he so keen to close this down . Is it because his Blind-Trust has shares in the Pansy Wong business, After all he was very quick to sack Worth and we still do not know why. No there is something fishy in the whole affair .Labour must not let this go.

  13. BLiP 14

    Looks like Australia has finally had enough of the banks:

    MORTGAGE exit fees will be banned on all new home loans from next year as part of sweeping reforms to banking laws to be announced today.

    As part of a package of reforms, Treasurer and acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan will also give the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission new powers to launch an investigation into price signalling between the big four banks.

  14. Draco T Bastard 15

    Free trade is costing millions: report

    A YEAR-long investigation of Australia’s free trade agreements has found they are often nothing of the kind.

    The Productivity Commission has told the government there is little evidence to suggest Australia’s six free-trade agreements have produced ”substantial commercial benefits”.

    And our experience as all the manufacturing and other wealth creation shifts off shore shows the same effect.

    So, why do we want these “free-trade” agreements? Especially one with the US?

    The net present value of the extra copyright costs imposed by the provisions agreed to by the Howard government when it signed a US-Australia agreement might amount to $700 million.

    ”And this is a pure transfer overseas, and hence pure cost to Australia,” the report says.

  15. just saying 16

    http://socialistaotearoa.blogspot.com/

    For those interested in a new left-wing party – an interview with McCarten.
    Doesn’t look like it will be up and running in time for the 2011 election unfortunately.

  16. Pascal's bookie 17

    Just in case anyone needs to know:
    Completely unverified:
    Anonymous warning: re payback

    be safe kids

    http://i.imgur.com/LJNdB.png

  17. Tigger 18

    So Pike River contractors are at the back of the queue? Families who lost their bread-winner might not even get the fruits of their labour, just because they were contractors? Another good example for the need for contractor law reform – though I’m sure Darien Fenton already has it on her radar – she is one MP in Parliament who has taken a real interest in the plight of contractors.

    • KJT 18.1

      About time. Things have got tougher with the reduction of contractors lien rights and other laws.

      The worst recently was after a contractor removed the windows he fitted, and still owned, from a mansion under mortgage in Auckland. The law was changed to allow the banks primacy over contractors/suppliers ownership of goods supplied. Forbidding removal of anything a contractor fitted if a bank had a claim.

      I do not think many people realise that under present law Sam Parnell would not have been able to talk to other tradesmen about only working an 8 hour day. The commerce act against collusion has been enforced against SME contractors. Never against banks and oil companies.

  18. Deadly_NZ 19

    A little note I left on Blinglishes website in reply to the article he wrote like I say at the bottom of the reply I dont expect him to post this.

    Why dont you tell the truth?

    after the election in 2008 you said and I quote.

    “I want to stress that New Zealand starts from a reasonable position in dealing with the uncertainty of our economic outlook. In New Zealand we have room to respond. This is the rainy day that Government has been saving up for,” he told reporters at the Treasury briefing on the state of the economy and forecasts.

    So how is that 2 years later the defecit has blown out to 15.5 billion yes the earthquake and canterbury finance happened. BUT cullen had left money to cover that. the Rainy day you mentioned. So now WHY do you now borrow 250k a week to finance your tax cuts to your rich mates??

    You are a disgrace and you should resign in shame for the mess you and john Key have made of the economy..

    I know you will not print this so I will also post it else where with the link to the article

    http://www.billenglish.co.nz/archives/634-Govt-will-play-its-part-in-lifting-national-savings.html#comments

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